Soft sculpture has always excited me –
since Claes Oldenburg exhibited his plastic everyday objects at the Tate in
London in the 60/70s. Then Christo meticulously wrapping rocks and bridges and and his small
work “The Wedding Dress” - Antonio Tapies and his “Chaise
Couverte”, Beverley Semmes and her wonderful “Long Pink Sleeves”,
the billowing dress filling a room and viewed through a small window
in the door – Fortuny, Issey Miyake and their fabrics, the late
Gianfranco Ferre's crinolines, Philip Treacy's hats, Jean-Paul
Gaultier's corsets and many, many more..... (see a wonderful book, 'Whole
Cloth' by Mildred Constantine and Lauren Reuter)..so when I noticed a
short course at West Dean College on Sculptural Textiles this month,
tutored by Sally Freshwater who has created
many large works including her installation at Gatwick Airport, I
decided to enrol.

Beginning gently, it was a mere
taste after all, I made a prototye for a large work taking the brac and flower of the Pocket
Handkerchief tree – there is a beautiful one close by me in the Hergest arboretum. I love the
shape but prefer the seedpod which follows the pom-pom style flower
- it will be large and light and translucence and luminosity will be
the essence of it. How it evolves will be recorded here......